Serious Plots 9: Srsr and srsr

[Deathkeeper]

G’nichi’s New Home

”Well so far I suppose that’s valid. Though I will still appreciate warnings when things are about to be dropped in my lap.”
He is giving her benefit of the doubt that her warning was vague because she didn’t know specifics of what and when trouble was about to hit. If she did know specifics and held them back he would be rather upset.
He sits down in a chair set on the balcony to eat. It doesn’t even creak.
”I suppose I should thank you for going through all this trouble.”
He isn’t entirely sure it isn’t merely a bribe to be less likely to mistrust everything she says. But as he said, he doesn’t see a reason to refuse even if it is.

[Chaotic Bob]

[G'nichi's New Home]

"Hm. I apologize for not being more specific about today, I really didn't know."
It would seem she has a general idea of his concerns, or perhaps always intended to elaborate.
"If it is anything of particularly grave importance, that I myself am seeking you out for, I'll give you all I can. These other situations are a bit...more difficult. I'm not entirely sure how to explain it to you in a way that wouldn't make you doubt my sanity further, beyond just by assuring you that I can often get a feel for impending moments of conflict or contention."
For looming drama.
"I did hope it was merely going to be minor, a little hiccup resulting from your new you. Evidently...not.
My compliments, by the way. I know it wasn't precisely what you were gunning for, but it does suit a protecting hero."

Her fingers drum along the balcony's railing, staring at the waves for a moment and seemingly just feel the wind pull at her hair and clothes.
It isn't the look of someone at peace with the world, reveling in the experience of nature. It seems closer to the look of an explorer surveying an unknown land for the first time, curious and just a little excited.
"It was my pleasure, G'nichi. You, of all people, need kindness presented to you now and again."

[Deathkeeper]

G'nichi's New Home

G'nichi nods at the explanation. It's good enough for him. Nala wouldn't believe her but G'nichi is too tired to doubt her.
"Oh, you think I look protective and heroic? I would have said I look like someone who has trouble with doorways and breaks chairs when it's comedically well timed. I'm clearly not very good at protecting..." G'nichi mumbles as he quietly munches his sandwich.
"But the kindness is appreciated anyway."

[Chaotic Bob]

[G'nichi's New Home]

Syncope turns her gaze back to our favorite reptilian biped, frowning slightly.
It's difficult to tell if the expression is leaning more towards disappointment or admonishment.
"G'nichi, do you have a favorite hero? Someone in particular you look up to?"

[Deathkeeper]

G'nichi's New Home

G'nichi doesn't reveal the level of idolization that was focused on things probably intended for children that went on for a bigger chunk of his life than maybe he should have.
"I've always looked up to the senior paladins at the temple. Their pride, their valor." Their shiny armor!
"Why?"

[Chaotic Bob]

[G'nichi's New Home]

"Interesting coincidence. Did you know that your little friend Karaglen regularly goes on patrols with paladin peace-keeping squads?"
A genuinely topical coincidence, it seems to amuse her for a moment before that stern (?) frown returns.

"Not the point. Do you suppose that your paladins don't suffer losses in their duties? That they are somehow capable of keeping everyone they meet from harm? If you do, I have some reports for you to read. Recent ones."
She actually taps the air to the left of her head and lines of golden-light text briefly ripple into existence.
no survivors is very briefly legible.

"Imagine the outcome at Sawtooth's Cove if you weren't present. The devastation. Not only for the patrons within the restaurant, but those in the nearby areas when the invaders spread out from their initial beachhead.
Would you consider the outcome you won to be somehow inadequate by comparison?"

[Deathkeeper]

G'nichi's New Home

Kara? But she avoids the temple like the plague. Maybe paladins of one of the human gods?
"I feel like everyone else did the bulk of the work there. I didn't even touch that beast. But point taken: I did something. And Bahamut tells us that's enough."
So...
G'nichi struggles to talk about something else, then.
"So you think that all this looks heroic, then? Even the hair? It seems kind of...I don't know."
Like something Kara would enjoy, at least. And being fair, it's probably closer to fur.

[Chaotic Bob]

[G'nichi's New Home]

"You shouldn't need a church to tell you that taking action in a disaster is always the right answer. One that you take to very well."
The chiding tone that she previously used softens, while she fully turns around to lean against the railing and watch him.

Hands resting against the wood lightly drum out a meaningless pattern with their fingers.

"I would find a rat ridden with mange to look heroic, if it kept into a fire to save a life."
Drum.
"You stand a far cry beyond a mangy rodent."

But she lets up on the seriousness at this point, perhaps an act of mercy to G'nichi.
A grin slithers into her face.
"I hear that a man with a soft spot is always a hit on the romance scene. You should consider yourself fortunate you've acquired a whole soft limb."

[Deathkeeper]

G'nichi's New Home

"I feel like it's not just one spot now." he grumbles, scratching at his middle while he finishes off the sandwich. His tail lashes as he's wont to do when annoyed. Its new shape causes a distinct fan-like movement of air as all that fluff is thrown around.
"Nala didn't like it much. But I think Kara and the kiddies will smile over it." He should invite her over when they're done. Is there a pool out back? He'd be happy to play host for her after all she's done for him.

[Chaotic Bob]

[G'nichi's New Home]

Who needs a pool when you have the beach right there?
If you're really desperate for a controlled water situation, that tub upstairs is monstrous.
No, there is not a pool.

That grin on Syncope's face really doesn't diminish.
"Oh, you have no idea."
G'nichi's never seen Kara around a fluffy animal before, has he? She becomes positivity rabid.

"I have a little theory, that if you aren't careful, you are going to be quite popular on that front."
Not with Nala, apparently, but...oh well. Not everyone has good taste.

[Deathkeeper]

G'nichi's New Home

"Well...fair enough. Oh gosh I'm going to need brushes." Hardcore ones.
"Well...okay. Is there any paperwork I need to know about? Any surprises in the basement or somesuch?" he asks her.
"...maybe I should see about some armor after all." it's an idle thought that springs from considering there being equipment racks or possibly gym equipment in any of the rooms. It's something he has to consider.

[Chaotic Bob]

[G'nichi's New Home]

"If you walk into most salons in the area, I imagine the staff would be delighted to supply you with everything you need to care for your tail."
For the low, low cost of access to it for touching, styling, and admiring.

"Ah!"
She snaps her fingers, in remembrance as what are very sadly reasonable questions are asked.
"I have already taken care of the paperwork for you, but there are a few other details you should probably be aware of. I would strongly suggest you leave out a few of the peanut shells in the fridge on the upper balcony each night.
I also suspect the basement is haunted, but I have not been able to personally verify this. Not...dangerous, not to you. Just something to be aware of."

[Deathkeeper]

G'nichi's New Home

Of course. There it is.
"Leave them out every night indefinitely? Or until that basin runs out?" he asks, for once being smart about magical processes.
"So you rebuilt this place and yet it's both possibly haunted and occupied by some kind of fairy?" Leaving things like peanuts outside seems like a fey pact sort of arrangement alright.

[Chaotic Bob]

[G'nichi's New Home]

"Indefinitely, I believe. Arrangements have already been made with one of the market vendors down the street. They will have more shells for you at the top of each week."

Syncope looks downright gleeful, like a child on Christmas morning.
"It came with the land! The previous owners were quite insistent on making sure these conditions were known to anyone else who took up residence here. I have no idea as to the true nature of either, but I did neglect the peanut shells one night as a matter of experiment and the third bedroom ended up in the bay, completely inverted and bleeding."

For the record, there is no third bedroom in the house.

[Deathkeeper]

G’nichi’s New Home

”Oh. Okay.” Of course. Why not?
”Well Gladius can probably check the basement for spirits. I would appreciate it if you sense trouble is coming my way to check on that. I’d hate for my house to be dismantled because I couldn’t pay the peanut shell tax while I was caught in a time loop or captured by cultists.”
Why the shells? Whatever it is doesn’t want the peanuts themselves?

[Chaotic Bob]

[G'nichi's New Home]

"Ah, yes, of course! The necromancer's blade would be rather adept at discerning an active haunting, wouldn't it...hmm."
Syncope has never seemed like a nerd, really, until about now.
Evidently this sort of thing is her jam. A chink in her mysterious, clinical presentation.

"The peanut shell ritual shouldn't be difficult to maintain. You could pay a local child to tend to it each night, if needed."
She, notably, does not volunteer to do so herself. There is a non-zero chance she would be too fascinated in seeing what happens after multiple nights of neglect.

[Deathkeeper]

G’nichi’s New Home

This would require him knowing trustworthy local children. He supposes Kara and her friends count.
”Fair enough. I’ll get it done.” he sighs. Always a catch, these things.
”Anything else?”

[Chaotic Bob]

[G'nichi's New Home]

Is it really a catch, or just an exciting bonus? Syncope seems to think it's the latter.
"As you do, I'm sure you'll rise to the occasion splendidly."

The gleefulness fades a bit here, settling back down into her usual professional facade.
Evidently there is, in fact, something else. It seemingly takes a moment or three for her to formulate how she wishes to present it to him, though.
"G'nichi, do you have many you would entrust your life with, in a crisis?"

[Deathkeeper]

G'nichi's New Home

G'nichi furrows his furry eyebrows at the question.
"That depends entirely on the crisis. I wouldn't trust Mr. Frescot to solve a computer problem but I would if something needed hunting." he answers. Because really, it's kind of part of his religion to have faith in the people around him.
Just...reasonable expectations. He'd trust Nala or Kara to fix a bullet wound but not fighting.
Clearly.
"This sounds like a loaded question."

[Chaotic Bob]

[G'nichi's New Home]

"Despite circumstances being what they are, I'd rather see you live a long and fulfilling life."
Probably for practical reasons, but maybe she cares at least a little.

Returning to face the bay, Syncope points a finger up towards a flock of birds flying overhead.
"Life persists in numbers. Heroes are not exempt from this rule. You're strong, alone, but you would be stronger with others.
Another sword-arm to cover your back, in a dark tunnel. A shield to block the blows at your side. Arms to lift you when you struggle.

Find some potent companions, G'nichi. People you can call on, who will answer when catastrophe strikes."
Her face turns back towards him, and her eyes have taken on a deeply purple, draconic shape.
"Catastrophe is going to strike."

[Deathkeeper]

G'nichi's new Home

G'nichi has already made friends with a wolf druid and a very large wintery knight. That's something!
"...your point is taken." he says, remembering the events of his last few adventures. He's not about to start a five man band, but he's done far better with a temporary partner than alone.

[Chaotic Bob]

[G'nichi's New Home]

Reliance on making incidental companions in the middle of disaster is not a good game plan, G'nichi.
But that is why this warning was made.

Satisfied that he seems to have grasped at least most of the gravity of this directive more or less immediately, Syncope gives a tight smile.
"I have faith in you."

Following this, she steps away from the balcony and gives a stretch.
"Well, I think that will do for tonight. You should rest and take in your new home in peace."
A strong gust of wind blows across the balcony and her form is torn away in a cloud of sparkling silver, drifting off into the distance.

"Don't forget the shells!" calls a distant, hollow voice.

[Deathkeeper]

G'nichi's New Home

Syncope sure is dramatic.
Oh, well. Now that G'nichi is alone (as much as he ever can be) he has a few things to do.
The first is take his shirt off and go back to posing, stretching, flexing, and doing all the other necessary practice he's going to need to get used to the new him. And at least get to enjoy it a little. Luckily the doorframes are too wide in this place to ever bang his wings on them.
The second is to get more snacks because he's absolutely ravenous.
And the third is to get a light and head downstairs to check out the basement. Besides the possible haunt he does wonder what Syncope set up in there. Workout room? Storage room? Library? TV Room? He's sure his sword can probably handle any haunts. Hopefully better than the last one.

[Chaotic Bob]

[G'nichi's New Home]

At present, the basement is occupied by mostly boxes (a lot) and a rather pleasant rug.
There is also lighting installed down here, which seems to gently bloom into being as he descends into it without any need to interact with a switch. Possibly motion-detected?

The space is pretty broad, plenty of room to turn it into whatever he likes, when he clears up the boxes.

Speaking of which, there's a piece of paper on top of one of them, with neat, machine-precision handwriting.

I selected a variety of exercise equipment for your use, of the usual sorts, as well as an assortment of literature.
They remain in boxes currently just in case the potential haunting is legitimate. Having you bludgeoned to death by a poltergeist with your own medicine ball would be quite embarrassing for both of us.

Unpack as you feel comfortable to do so.

-S

True to word, the boxes are a fairly decent spread of equipment options.
And books. The books all have a pretty on the nose theme. They're all novels and histories of heroes and villains, great conquerors and rebellions.
Well, almost all of them.

There's one book that stands out, bound in a dark green-stained leather, armed with a lock that absolutely refuses to open.

Unrelated to all of this, the gladius has been putting out abstract feelers across the room.
I don't detect any obvious signs of haunting. Though, some sort of...phase in and out, at certain times or arrangements, and might not be detectable at all until closer to that point.

[Rebonack]

[G'nichi's New Home]

There is a well in the basement.

Was there a well in the basement when G'Nichi first came down here?

Because there is now.

In the back corner of the room.

A ring of stones with an iron cover placed over the top. Really, it looks like someone stole a manhole cover for this thing. Should G'Nichi check more closely, he'll see that yep! Sure enough. Someone absolutely stole a manhole cover for this well. Which is kind of an odd thing to do considering that these things typically weigh about two hundred and fifty pounds. It would take someone who is overwhelmingly SWOL to remove it. Or specialized tools.

It seems like an unremarkable well, honestly.

The only thing odd about it are the black berry briars growing out of the gaps between the stones that make up the well.

[Deathkeeper]

G’nichi’s New Home

Ugh. This already smells like otherworldly nonsense. G’nichi takes a moment to go upstairs and fetch a set of garden clippers
He goes about trying to prune those thorns away. He can’t exactly dismantle this well but he doesn’t want magic things growing in his basement. Maybe he can just put up some metal walls around it and still use the room. He knocks on the lid but leaves it be.
No way he’s dumb enough to just remove it for no reason.

[Rebonack]

[G’nichi’s New Home]

The iron shears have an interesting effect on the brambles.

The parts that get cut off?

They wither away into nothing.

That's probably weird, right?

Or...

Definitely weird.

Maybe not threatening, but certainly weird.

When G'Nichi knocks on the manhole cover something on the other side knocks back.

thunk thunk thunk!

[Deathkeeper]

G’nichi’s New Home

Aha, see!
Nonsense. Probably monsters or something. The heavy manhole is probably there to keep the thing from leaking nonsense all over the house. G’nichi knocks again, using the super secret code that all mortals know but unthinking monsters never would.
Knock knock knock-knock knock.

[Rebonack]

[G’nichi’s New Home]

Silence.

For exactly two beats.

Followed by, THUNK! THUNK!

The manhole cover rattles atop the mouth of the well with the force of the impacts.

Well!

Apparently whatever is down there knows the answer to that particular musical code.

A mortal?

A toon?

A musically savvy brambly tentacle monsters?

It's a mystery!

[Deathkeeper]

G'nichi's New Home

G'nichi groans. He's working with something intelligent here. Which means he can't just assume he can sit on this problem. Literally or metaphorically.
He takes his gladius and sticks the tip under the manhole cover to use it as a crowbar. After all, his weapons are all immortal. Lifting it a crack shouldn't be difficult for him.
"If you're a monster seeking to seep into this world and steal the names of mortals I'm afraid I have to tell you to desist and leave." he calls into the crack.